Stanton

SeymourBowling

But US aid officials say assurances must be given that the insurgents will not interfere with its distribution. She said there had been a "surge of inquiries and requests for assistance from the public and solicitors". Drought, conflict and poverty have now combined to produce the necessary conditions for famine. Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that "with hindsight" he would not have hired ex-News of the World editor Andy Coulson as his communications chief, in the closest he has come to an apology. "The overall requirement is $1.6bn (�990m) for Somalia, roughly $300m is needed in the next two months to provide an adequate response to famine-affected areas. Children and adults are dying at an appalling rate," Mr Ban said. The law firm had said it was being prevented from responding to "inaccurate" comments made by News International chairman James Murdoch because the company would not allow it breach its duty of client confidentiality.